alder Hear it!

alder definition

al·der (ôl′dər)

noun

any of a small group of rapidly growing trees and shrubs (genus Alnus) of the birch family, having toothed leaves and catkins, and growing in cool, moist soil in temperate and cold climates: the bark is used in dyeing and tanning, the wood is used for bridges and piles because it resists underwater rot, and the roots, which contain nitrogen-fixing organisms, help colonize raw soil

Etymology: ME alder, aller < OE alor, aler < IE base *el-: see elm

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.